Not spotted...

[White Exec]

We've just got back from a week's jaunt into France (Carcassone area) to see some friends. Some 3000km (1875mi) showed up a the usual great swathe of Citroens:
XM - 0
Xantia - 2
Xsara - 2
AX - 1
BX - 0
Dyane - 1
anything older - 0
...but plenty of C5's and about a dozen C6's

And, in France, still hundreds of these, busily scooting their stuff:

Twingo 1.jpg

Then, in the middle of nowhere (somewhere south of Argeliers) we stumbled across these:

Image031.jpg

The 2.5TD did its stuff faultlessly for the two of us and our two dogs, who had the boot to themselves atop several duvets. We got through rather a lot of diesel (but at 41mpg) and rather too many peage receipts. Nice to be able to cruise at 130km/h in France again.

[djg]

Some time ago, just for the fun of it, I tried to Google Street View without stopping until I can find one Xm (Paris and later larger other towns in France). Took quite some time to spot the first one.

[russ92xmsed]

I have a huge soft spot for Renault Twingos... I would love one to just bomb about town in.

[White Exec]

Some friends of ours here had one. Bought a new Scenic some years ago, and wanted "a deal". The deal was a Twingo thrown in at an irresistible price. I drove Twingy several times: wonderful 1200cc petrol engine, and loads of space inside. Back seat would adjust backwards and forwards by about a foot, for the choice of space in the back seat or the boot. Also remember the dead simple central dash, featuring one huge digital speedo.

Despite the central instrument display, it was never made in RHD, which was a shame. Would have done really well in UK. Interestingly, most of them were in real mucky and oddball colours, which kind of suited them: mushy grape, babypoo yellow, grimy grey, yukky pale blue, and (our neighbour's) something I think was called Harvest Gold - which in reality was a greenish metallic khaki, iirc.

You could do worse than to pick one of these up secondhand. They were obviously built to last.

[MTXM]

A poor showing of older Citroens Chris and you might see more over here! The French scrappage scheme is a factor no doubt! With regards, Matthew T.

[Dieselman]

The newest XM is now 18 years old.

[russ92xmsed]

Some friends of ours here had one. Bought a new Scenic some years ago, and wanted "a deal". The deal was a Twingo thrown in at an irresistible price. I drove Twingy several times: wonderful 1200cc petrol engine, and loads of space inside. Back seat would adjust backwards and forwards by about a foot, for the choice of space in the back seat or the boot. Also remember the dead simple central dash, featuring one huge digital speedo.

Despite the central instrument display, it was never made in RHD, which was a shame. Would have done really well in UK. Interestingly, most of them were in real mucky and oddball colours, which kind of suited them: mushy grape, babypoo yellow, grimy grey, yukky pale blue, and (our neighbour's) something I think was called Harvest Gold - which in reality was a greenish metallic khaki, iirc.

You could do worse than to pick one of these up secondhand. They were obviously built to last.

I agree. Any for sale here tend to command strong prices. Obviously due to rareity. I think they suited all the colours wacky they were painted in. They used to do the early ones in metallic burgundy, ...would be a great companion to the XM!

A poor showing of older Citroens Chris and you might see more over here! The French scrappage scheme is a factor no doubt! With regards, Matthew T.

I do wonder if a large amount left are now squirrelled away in barns and the such like. So you just don't see them.

[Ciaran]

Good post Chris, been a long time since I saw a proper, original Euro Twingo (nothing like the new version they've recently brought out in RHD markets).

I first encountered them on Crete in 1996, during a family holiday. I was still a kid at the time but I was well into cars and was really intrigued by the Twingo's quirky design inside and out, and the fact I'd never seen them back home, LHD only as you say. There were literally dozens of them on that island.

All the little Greek car hire places were offering Twingos and the other staple, Fiat Unos for rental.

I never saw one again until about 8 years ago, on the motorway in Belfast I came up behind a black LHD one, English 'T' reg, obviously an import.

Interesting little car, definitely a lot more ingenuity in them than the Clios, no to mention better built.

That brought back a nice little memory, cheers!

Ciarán

[Eddie nuff]

The newest XM is now 18 years old.

I think this has more to do with it than anything else. Owt with green blood in it is well into its middle age and considering the time, money and specific knowledge needed to keep one on the road it's no great surprise that few are seen. I saw my first Xantia in ages last week, a gorgeous blue estate, seeing anything else with green blood is very rare.

[russ92xmsed]

The only regular green bloods I see round hear is a blue Xantia estate and a BX. There used to be so many more. The XM count in the 90's was quite high. All have just disappeared.